Device for sealing an air inlet of a front face of a motor vehicle

Abstract

A device for sealing an air inlet of a motor vehicle, including a support frame with a front and rear faces, the support frame including a through-orifice with a sealing assembly with at least two complementary flaps, each of which is movable about a corresponding pivot axis between a sealing and an open positions, the device further including a system for synchronously opening the flaps having a suspended element arranged on the rear face of the support frame and movable between a position close to the support frame and a position remote from the support frame, the suspended element being connected to each of the flaps such that, in the close position, the flaps are in the sealing position and, in the remote position, the flaps are in the open position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A shutter device for an air inlet of a motor vehicle, comprising a support frame including a front, suitable for being exposed to an incoming air flow, and a rear face opposite the front face, said support frame including at least one through-orifice, with at least one shutter assembly including at least two complementary flaps that are each movable about a respective pivot axis between a closing position, in which the at least one through-orifice is closed by complementarity of the at least two complementary flaps, and an open position, in which the incoming air flow can pass through the at least one through-orifice, the at least two complementary flaps opening so that they protrude from the rear face of the support frame in the open position, the shutter device further comprising an opening system for synchronous opening of the at least two complementary flaps, said opening system including:
 a suspended element arranged on the rear face of the support frame and movable between a position close to the support frame and a position distant from the support frame, said suspended element being connected to each of the at least two complementary flaps so that in the close position, the at least two complementary flaps are in the closing position, and in the distant position, the at least two complementary flaps are in the open position, and   an actuation device configured to move the suspended element between the close position and the second, distant position.   
     
     
         2 . The shutter device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the opening system includes at least one guide device for guiding the translation of the suspended element between its position close to and its position distant from the support frame. 
     
     
         3 . The shutter device as claimed  claim 2 , wherein the at least one guide device includes:
 a hollow member arranged on the support frame, the hollowness of said member extending along an axis parallel to the movement of the suspended element, and   a guide rod inserted into the hollow member so that it can slide in said hollow member and that has one end of which is connected to the suspended element.   
     
     
         4 . The shutter device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the connection between the suspended element and a flap of the at least two complementary flaps includes a connecting rod fastened at a first end to the flap of the at least two complementary by a pivot connection and fastened at a second end to the suspended element by another pivot connection. 
     
     
         5 . The shutter device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the actuation device includes:
 at least one first shaft arranged on the rear face of the support frame on a first side of the at least one shutter assembly, said at least one first shaft being connected to an actuator so that it can be rotated,   at least one second shaft arranged on the rear face of the support frame on a second side of the at least one shutter assembly, opposite the first side,   at least one transmitter for transmitting the rotation of the at least one first shaft to the at least one second shaft,   at least one converter for converting the rotation of the at least one first and the at least one second shafts into the translation of the suspended element.   
     
     
         6 . The shutter device as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the at least one transmitter for transmitting the rotation of the at least one first shaft to the at least one second shaft includes a first lever arm borne by the at least one first shaft and a second lever arm borne by the at least one second shaft, the ends of the first and second lever arms being connected to each other by a connecting rod. 
     
     
         7 . The shutter device as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the at least one converter for converting the rotation of the at least one first and at least one second shafts into the translation of the suspended element include:
 a crank borne by one of the at least one first and the at least one second shafts,   a connecting member connected at one of its ends to the suspended element and connected to the crank at its opposite end.   
     
     
         8 . The shutter device as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the connecting member is a connecting rod including an articulated connection with the crank and an articulated connection with the structural element. 
     
     
         9 . The shutter device as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the opening system includes at least one guide device for guiding the translation of the suspended element between its position close to and its position distant from the support frame, wherein the at least one guide device includes:
 a hollow member arranged on the support frame, the hollowness of said member extending along an axis parallel to the movement of the suspended element, and   a guide rod inserted into the hollow member so that it can slide in said hollow member and that has one end of which is connected to the suspended element   wherein the connecting member is a sliding pivot connection between the crank and the end of a red the guide rod of the suspended element, said end of the guide rod including a slider extending in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the shaft.   
     
     
         10 . The shutter device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the support frame includes a plurality of through-orifices in the shape of a regular polygon, with respective shutter assemblies including one flap of the at least two complementary flaps, in a shape of a triangle, per side of said through-orifices.